Combination jacket and backpack

ABSTRACT

A combination jacket and backpack with a jacket type garment, a sleeve to body connecting device and a body panel closure. The sleeve to body connecting device allows the distal end of the left and right arm sleeve to be releasably connected to the right and left lower portion of the body of the jacket. The body panel closure, such as a zipper, is attached to the left and right side of the bottom edge of the jacket body allowing the bottom edge of the jacket body to be sealed. The jacket garment is capable of being used as a backpack when the right and left arm sleeves to act as a backpack strap and the body closure creates a sealed bottom of the backpack so that items can be stored within the body panels of the jacket.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

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DESCRIPTION OF ATTACHED APPENDIX

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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to the field of convertible garmentsand more specifically to a combination jacket and backpack.

Outerwear garments such as jackets are well known around the world andare used during mild to cold climate conditions to help keep the wearerwarm. Occasionally, a person has the need to carry items in a backpack,which is a bag that be worn on a person's back and shoulders, where leftand right straps extend vertically from the top of the bag to an areanear the bottom of the bag. In some instances, it would be helpful toconvert a jacket into a backpack, for example when a person travels to agrocery store, buys several items and then wants to carry those items ina convenient way, but only has the jacket he or she is wearing and nocarry bag or backpack. In this case it would be ideal, in mild weathercircumstances, to be able to covert the jacket into a backpack whichcould be worn on the user's shoulders thereby making carrying thegrocery items more convenient to carry.

Others have explored the idea of incorporating a backpack into a jacket,so that it was always available when needed. For example, Toru Itoi inhis U.S. Pat. No. 4,347,629 discloses a jacket and bag combination wherea person can cinch closed the bottom of the jacket and use two rope-likestraps to hold the resulting bag onto the user's back. Many otherpatents including U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,970,316 and 4,689,831 and 6,654,388all describe designs that incorporate bag or backpack into a jacket, sothat both the jacket and the backpack can be used at the same time.However, these designs may not look stylish because of the additionalbag feature sewn onto a jacket.

However, none of the designs in the prior art use the arms of the jacketas the backpack straps so that the jacket looks perfectly normal whenbeing used as a jacket, but can be easily converted to a backpackwithout the use of extraneous ropes or other accessories that may takeaway from the stylish look of the jacket.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary object of the invention is to provide a jacket that can bequickly and easily transformed into a backpack.

Another object of the invention is to provide a jacket that turns into abackpack where the arms of the jacket act as the carrying straps for thebackpack.

Another object of the invention is to provide a jacket that looks like anormal jacket, with no visual abnormalities, that can transform into abackpack.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent from the following descriptions, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, wherein, by way of illustration and example, anembodiment of the present invention is disclosed.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, there isdisclosed a combination jacket and backpack comprising: a jacket typegarment, a sleeve to body connecting means, a body panel closure means,said sleeve to body connecting means allowing the distal end of the leftand right arm sleeve to be releasably connected to the right and leftlower portion of the body of said jacket, said body panel closure meansattached to the left and right side of the bottom edge of said jacketbody allowing the bottom edge of said jacket body to be sealed, and saidjacket garment capable of being used as a backpack when said right andleft arm sleeves to act as backpack straps and said body closure meanscreates a sealed bottom of said backpack and where items can be storedwithin the body of said jacket.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The drawings constitute a part of this specification and includeexemplary embodiments to the invention, which may be embodied in variousforms. It is to be understood that in some instances various aspects ofthe invention may be shown exaggerated or enlarged to facilitate anunderstanding of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a front view of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a partial front view of the bottom of the jacket body in theopen position

FIG. 3 is a partial front view of the bottom of the jacket body in theclosed position.

FIG. 4 is a front view of the invention with the arms connected asstraps.

FIG. 5 is a side view of the invention being worn by a person.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Detailed descriptions of the preferred embodiment are provided herein.It is to be understood, however, that the present invention may beembodied in various forms. Therefore, specific details disclosed hereinare not to be interpreted as limiting, but rather as a basis for theclaims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the artto employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailedsystem, structure or manner.

Referring now to FIG. 1 we see a front view of the combination jacketand backpack of the present invention. The front body panels 18, 26 fromthe front of the jacket, and a rear body panel 36 forms the rear of thejacket. A zipper 20 connects the two front panels 18, 26. Arms 22, 24are attached to the panels 18, 26 in a standard way. Pockets 14, 16 aresewn to arm sleeves 22, 24 and can be the same color as the jacketmaterial thereby making them almost invisible. Pockets 10, 12 are sewnonto front panels 18, 26 in a similar way. Zippers 2, 4 are shown in theunzipped position where zipper pulls 6, 8 are at the extreme right andleft of the jacket panels 18, 26. The jacket in its currentconfiguration can be worn as a normal jacket for protection from windand cold.

FIG. 2 is a partial front view showing the zippers 2, 4 in the unzippedposition. This is the position of the zippers 2, 4 when the invention isbeing used as a standard jacket

FIG. 3 is a partial front view showing the zippers 2, 4 in the zippedposition so that the bottom of the jacket can form the bottom of abackpack as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.

FIG. 4 shows a front view of the jacket with snap fasteners 30, 32attached to straps 28, 34 forming a connection between the bottomportion of the arms 22, 24 and the bottom sides of the jacket panels 18,26. Straps 28, 34 are sewn at one end into the inside of pockets 12, 14.The same is true with the left arm 24 and corresponding jacket panel 26.

FIG. 5 is a side view of a person 40 wearing the combination jacket andbackpack of the present invention while it is in the backpack mode. Armpieces 22 act as the straps for the backpack. Connectors 30, 32 act toremovably retain the bottom of the arm piece 22 to the bottom of thejacket panel 18. The same is true when seen from the opposite directionwhere arm piece 24 is connected to jacket panel 26.

In the above described and illustrated way, the combination jacket andbackpack of the present invention allows a person to wear a stylishjacket, with no obvious sign of a second use, and then to transform thejacket into a backpack without using any other major components exceptfor the connector straps that were previously hidden in pockets thatblend in with the rest of the jacket design. The body of the jacketforms the item holding enclosure of the backpack. The bottom of thebackpack is sealed by zippers 2, 4 thereby creating a bottom to theholding enclosure of the backpack.

While the invention has been described in connection with a preferredembodiment, it is not intended to limit the scope of the invention tothe particular form set forth, but on the contrary, it is intended tocover such alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may beincluded within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by theappended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. combination jacket and backpack comprising: ajacket type garment; a sleeve to body connecting means; a body panelclosure means; said sleeve to body connecting means allowing the distalend of the left and right arm sleeve to be releasably connected to theright and left lower portion of the body of said jacket; said body panelclosure means attached to the left and right side of the bottom edge ofsaid jacket body allowing the bottom edge of said jacket body to besealed; and said jacket garment capable of being used as a backpack whensaid right and left arm sleeves to act as a backpack strap and said bodyclosure means creates a sealed bottom of said backpack and where itemscan be stored within the body panels of said jacket.
 2. combinationjacket and backpack as claimed in claim 1 wherein said sleeve to bodyconnecting means is a snap fastener.
 3. combination jacket and backpackas claimed in claim 1 wherein said body panel closure means is onezipper that seals the left side of the bottom of said body panel and asecond zipper that seals the right side of said body panel. 4.combination jacket and backpack as claimed in claim 1 further comprisingpockets sewn to the outer portion of said jacket sleeves and said bodypanel to conceal said sleeve to body connecting means when not in use.